Category: Futurist Keynote Speaker

In the run-up to the G20 Summit in Hamburg Germany, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy organised a G20 Multi Stakeholder Conference. The title of the leadership conference was “Digitalisation: Policies for a Digital Future” and it was held on 6 April 2017 in Duesseldorf, Germany. An interesting line-up of keynote speakers, though leaders and government officials where discussion the key drivers of digital transformation.

Particularly there had been three key areas of interest:
1. Shaping digitalisation at a global level – leveraging the potential for growth and employment
2. Digital networking for industrial value creation – developing international standards
3. Creating transparency – enhancing trust in the digital world

I had been invited to attend the G20 Digital Conference as a delegate and a special private side-event by the World Economic Forum. Here is a short video summary:

Today is a fantastic time for Entrepreneurs and their Startups. The entrepreneurial opportunities are enormous as digital is transforming every industry globally. While technology companies are expanding into unchartered territory and disrupting traditional industries we already know that the next 5 years will usher more change than the previous 25 years. I had been invited as a keynote speaker to a startup conference this week to answer a simple question: what’s the next big thing?

As a VC we always have to look into the future and evaluate the most promising areas, talk to passionate founders, screen business plans everyday and then come up with a decision if we also believe in this new business opportunity or not.

In my speech I was presenting a positive vision of the future vision based on the key Global Technology Trends we currently see in the market.

Seven Principles Of Digital Diffusion

As digital technologies and connectivity become a commodity – like breathing air – the lines between analog and digital are blurring. Digital is part of every facet and element of our business and personal life. Algorithms, artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous cars, voice control, virtual reality or mixed reality, nano-sensors and ubiquitous information access are now part of the DNA of our modern society. This is what I call the concept of Digital Diffusion. Today you can’t be digital. You just be.

2. Rather than adapting us to the technology, we will now experience how computers will fully adapt to our needs and ultimately become invisible. #VoiceControl #VR #AR #UbiquitousComputing

3. As computer performance will outpace human capabilities hundredfold, we will discover how quickly industries will be transformed through artificial intelligence. #AI #FinTech #HealthTech

4. Digital is not only breaking down the barriers for information access, but also the barriers of transactions – eliminating the middle men via Blockchain Technologies. #Blockchain

5. Sensors are everywhere, but we have just started the massive understand the impact when things are connecting creating the internet of things. #IIoT #Sensorconomy #IoT #Nanosensors

6. Urbanisation has transformed cities already today, but technology will unfold a new era of Smart Cities where mobility services will displace public transportation, self-driving cars will re-define the requirements for infrastructure and energy will be turned into efficient energy networks. #SmartCities #Mobility #SmartHomes

7. While the digital world does not know boundaries, our society will be questioning the role of citizenship, governments and space travel. #GlobalCitizen #MultiplanetarySpecies

Invite Monty for your Event

Contact us directly if you want to request a proposal for a keynote speech. Just email Angelique and send her details about your conference or event (date, audience, location etc.) and we will get back to you shortly.

How will the future of digital look like? What are the key emerging technology trends every leader needs to understand?
Exactly in January 14 years ago, the Line Mode Browser, was introduced, enabling everybody to explore the World Wide Web. Since then digital has transformed our society and business from the ground up. The next 14 years will usher more change than the previous 14 years. Here is a video showcasing my technology predictions until 2030.

This is BIG News: Elon Musk’s Space X is applying for over 4.000 Internet Satellites.

To be precise SpaceX wants to launch 4,425 satellites into low-Earth orbits, with altitudes ranging from 715 miles to 823 miles.

Each satellite will provide aggregate downlink capacity of 17 to 23Gbps, the application said. “With deployment of the first 800 satellites, the system will be able to provide US and international broadband connectivity; when fully deployed, the system will add capacity and availability at the equator and poles for truly global coverage,” SpaceX said.

Ok – But, what does this mean?
1. The Satellites are powered by the solar panels they makes. New additional profits and revenues for SolarCity / Tesla.

2. They are building a new worldwide wireless internet company, connecting the globe (competing with Facebook’s and Google’s approach to bring Internet to the rural areas as well). Most likely this could be also disrupting the Telco business, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone etc.

3. This will enable TESLA to provide ubiquitous connectivity for his autonomous car business.

How Self-Driving Vehicles Will Change Us? Society? Our daily life?
And how quickly will consumers adapt to this new driverless mobility?
What is the economic case for self-driving cars?

The shift to autonomous vehicles is the biggest transformation of the automobile industry since Carl Benz invented the car. We have reached a tipping point, the technology for driverless cars is in the market already or will be rolled out in the near future. As I have been researching and monitoring emerging technology trends since almost two decades I know that people are typically slow in changing. It takes time until you switch to a new TV or buy new tech equipment for your smart home. These tech trends are slowly changing how we live. With self-driving cars it will be different. I am convinced that people will switch to driverless cars very quickly. People will activate the autopilot mode, enabling their cars to autonomously drive on their commute to work, pick up their kids from school, watch a movie while driving, do some work while driving or let the car park itself. I am convince that this technology trends will be a mass phenomena in a short period of time because people are lazy – they love convenience. And self-driving cars are perfect for our lazy society.

In this Vlog I drew a mindmap of a ecosystem of autonomous vehicles and its impact on the economy. The Video was filmed in Rotterdam and Brussels last week.

During my keynote speeches I am also reflecting on some of the following questions. What impact will self-driving cars have on designing smart cities and urban environments? What is the status quo of driver-less cars – What is in the market and what kind of “autonomous vehicles” products can we expect in the future?

So assuming that you are aware of the disruptive change the automobile industry is facing in the next decade – What are the implications for leadership decisions? What are the implications for investments? What are the implications in our social, political, and economic world of self-driven automobiles?

Wired Journalist Sonal Chokshi points out: “It’s often easier to make something 10 times better than it is to make it 10 percent better.” That’s the core of the idea of moonshots. The first step is to identify a huge opportunity which you are able to solve and create substantial value on the way. Seeing the big picture will help you overcome the current hurdles, barriers and problems on the way. I call this a new Leadership Strategy to improve the status quo exponentially by envisioning of what is possible in the Digtal Future rather than improvement by micro-management.

Most companies fail because they over-invest in what is rather than of what might be.

At tech conferences and leadership events we are listening to the most wanted tech and business keynote speakers. They tell us how they are changing the world, how they are disrupting industries, how they are growing highly profitable businesses. But how do you leverage this silicon valley mindset, change your habits and take action now?

Why Exploring and Understanding the Technological Forces Will Lead You To Success

Exponentially growing technology, like VR, wireless sensors, cloud computing, cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence or robotics will eventually disrupt every industry. Moonshot-Thinking is a terms created in Silicon Valley and adapted by several successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. The invention of the micro-processor was a moonshot. Google’s self-driving car was a moonshot.

What history tells us is that the key difference to the outstanding inventions in the past and the moonshot-thinking leadership strategies tech companies are embracing, is that they do it again and again and again. By introducing lean management, agile product development and startup thinking into their core of their culture. Google has started Google X as an initiative to continuously create moonshot-thinking projects. They created Google Glass to merge the real with the virtual world, Project Loon to bring internet connectivity to the world or Project Wing to rapidly deliver products by using flying vehicles such as autonomous drones or Project AI, an artificial neural network for instant speech recognition and computer vision.

How StartUps and Entrepreneurs Use Moonshot Thinking and Technology Innovation to Create Disruptive and Profitable Businesses?

StartUps not only have a large impact on the economy of a country but also changing the way companies are managed and how new products are developed and launched.
Tech Startups are creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. Entrepreneurs and Managers at the largest corporations have very similar challenges – also it’s not very obvious at first sight. They have to envision the future to make the right decisions today. They want to find the right path in our fast paced digital society to build a sustainable business and make money.

With the digital economy comes a new form of digital efficiency fostering a new leadership culture to be capital efficient while leverage human creativity more effectively.

How to Create the Next Billion Dollar Company?

Today’s self-made billionaires have build technology companies like Facebook, Google, UBER, Dropbox, Salesforce, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Alibaba. But what do these tech billionaires have in common. Are they smarter than we are? Did they had a better education? Did they work harder then we did? Most of them surpassed shortcomings such as average intelligence by taking large problems of our times, trying to solves problems with smart technology, they saw the big picture and what they could achieve in 10 or 20 years, they are taking calculated risks and overcome critical entrepreneurial barriers. Monty’s Keynote speeches dive into the mind of these self-made tech billionaires and explain the key steps to follow their paths.

Germanys largest industry is at stake. The Automative Industry is Germanys largest industry with turnover of €384 billion, that’s over 20 percent of total German industry revenue.

130 years ago the car, the first automobile, was invented in Germany by Carl Benz. But will the automobile be re-invented by a german entrepreneur or visionaire? Or will the automotive industry be able to re-invent itself?

As a Futurist Keynote Speaker I believe that due to the latest emerging technology trends, the automotive industry is one of the most exciting industries in the world in the next decade. Autonomous vehicles, self-driving cars, electric cars, highly efficient battery solutions, smart transportation in combination with the sharing economy are developments pushing the boundaries of the automotive industry. It’s an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs and startups. Last year over $9 billion USD had been invested by Venture Capital Investors in Urban Mobility and Technology in USA, according to Fortune. UBER got two thirds of the VC money. The total Venture Capital invested in the same period reached $64.5 billion USD.
To set this in perspective the total amount of Venture Capital invested in Germany has grown to €3.1 billion in 2015.

What are the most promising automative technology StartUps in Europe?

I’ve visited the Croatian eCar StartUp RIMAC Automobile a few years ago. The founder Mate Rimac guided me around the facilities and took me for a test drive in their 1088hp full-electric supercar. The concept-one is catapulting you from 0-100km/h in 2,8 seconds. Fascinating.

But I am sure there are many more interesting startups developing the future of the automotive industry in Europe. At Digital Leaders Ventures we are be investing in this area, talking to startups with disruptive technology and passionate entrepreneurs.

We’re on the threshold of a new digital era. Emerging technologies are changing how we live, how we work and who we are. It’s a pivotal moment for every industry and for your personal life. Will we loose our jobs? Will robots take over? Why is data is the new currency? Often named as a Technology Futurist, Monty is addressing these questions in his keynote speeches and talks.

Keynote speaker Monty Metzger is globally recognized as a futurist, thought leader and investor. “Practise what you preach” – that’s why he is investing in technology startups globally with his Venture Fund Digital Leaders Ventures. Monty will shake up your audience, motivate, entertain and explain emerging technology trends by showcasing case studies form around the world.

Business Strategist

Monty has started a Future Research Company early 2000 which he exited in 2008. Now he is Partner at Digital Leaders Ventures and uses his personal experience of two decades of trend spotting to invest in the most promising companies himself. Besides being known as a futurist keynote speaker he is a business strategist for businesses and senior leaders in today’s highly disrupted world. As a thought leader he is driving change and anticipating digital leadership.

Burning Questions

Leadership and Company Culture

What are the new skills that leaders need to have in today’s digital world, and how do you create a company culture that supports people to achieve more?

Customers Experience and Marketing

What does the future of customer look like? How do companies reach their target groups? Is this the end of Marketing as we know it?

Digital, Technology and Media

How do you succeed in the world of digital? What are the core drivers of the digital future? Where can you discover the digital future of your industry already today? How to learn from technology hot spots?

Analytics, Data and Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Learning and Big Data have transformed the world. What’s next in this, and how can companies embrace AI to drive growth and profits?

Disruption and Business Models

With so much change how can you future proof your business? What do jobs of the future look like and how can you embrace change? Which Business Models will no longer exist in the future?

Trends & Innovation

What are some of the mega trends for the next 1-5 years? Who are the leaders driving this change today? How can you transform your company to stay competitive?

Futurist Keynote Speaker

A Futurist Keynote Speaker would say, the future is definitely coming in the form of self driving cars. These vehicles are designed in order to remove the hassle from the road and at the same time they will minimize the amount of accidents that appear. Driving will be the new Handwriting. Self Driving Vehicles will reduce accidents and improve traffic flow. Companies like UBER, MyTaxi or Didi Kuaidi will use self-driving cars to deliver on-demand rides.

The web of things
Computers are becoming almost an entity of their own and we have the ability to interact with them in almost the same way as we do with a human. A Futurist Keynote Speaker will state that those new techs like harvesting energy in a safe manner with the help of chips or implementing NFC will allow the world to evolve. Combine that with mechanic limbs and numerous transplants that were unable to perform up to this point, then you will be able to see that the society is becoming a lot more focused on connecting with tech and the web is definitely a huge part of it.

Mastering The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Any Futurist Keynote Speaker will acknowledge the fact that supercomputing and bit data will play a major role in the evolution of all modern men, but this is also where the need for computing geared towards consumers comes into play. The trend will surely evolve in the next few years, allowing companies to create natural interfaces that will make supercomputing very useful when it comes to customer interaction.
As you can see, technologies are definitely going to shape our future, so having a Futurist Keynote Speaker that will showcase such a thing will definitely help you acquire investors for your project!

What People Say about Monty

“I’ve hired Monty a couple of times to give visionary speeches regarding the development of mobile technolgy. He is a truly engaged and great speaker. Furthermore he is pretty experienced in mentoring Start-Ups, doing M&A advice and innovation consulting. Use his services and you won’t be disappointed.”Gregor Bieler, General Manager Consumer Business and Member of the Executive Board bei Microsoft Deutschland GmbH

“Off the bat or from the stump: Monty is a captivating & energetic speaker who can draw in his audience instantly. His presentations are thoughtful, brilliant, yet simple and have the audience yearning for more (see hits on his online presentations for proof). First and foremost, they are truly ahead of time.”Philipp Encz, Head of Electrification & Digitalization Topics at SIEMENS

“Monty has a real grasp of innovation, investment advisory and supporting Digital initiatives internationally. His skill at networking these interests allows him, and those associated with him, to keep up to speed with the latest products services,and organisation in TMT and beyond. I am happy to recommend him and his skill attribution.”Oliver Rothschild, Patron at One Planet Ventures

“Monty makes the extraordinary look simple. If the Future, he has his finger on its pulse and knows how to help others see quickly the important trends that will impact all our business lives.”Charles Savage, Owner at KEE International and Management Consulting Consultant

Seoul is the most wired city in the world. Internet Penetration rates reaching 99%. Mobile Smartphone penetration over 70%. At home: 100 Mbit/s for 10 bucks a month. On the go: LTE Advanced with up to 1 Gbit/s mobile broadband connection. Last week I had been on a field trip to Seoul to experience the future of mobile at its point of origin.

The first time I had been in Seoul was in 2002 during a trend tour for a big automotive company. Already then South Korea was very advanced and a few years ahead of our mobile technology development.

Today the Internet landscape of South Korea is different. Giants like Google or Facebook do not play a major role here. Rules are different, Players are different and consumer behavior is different. It almost feels like travelling time to see how the future of mobile media could look like. Of course many trends and developments will never happen in USA or Europe due to the cultural differences. Nevertheless Seoul is a great place to reflect on things we take for granted and questioning the state of digital media. And some korean companies will grow and expand internationally as well (e.g. LINE social messaging, part of the NAVER group).

Every year the team at Domain.me is gathering international experts, entrepreneurs, investors and c-level executives in the web, mobile & tech-industry in the city of Budva, Montenegro. Their tech conference is called Spark.me and features inspiring speeches, expert panels and a startup competition in teamwork with TechCrunch.

This year I had the honor to talk about the “Digital Future: Trends & Opportunities you need to know about.”
As an introduction I looked back and mentioned key milestones on the history of computing, cellphones and the web. Then I gave an outlook into the future and focused on seven key trends (“7 Digital Trends who need to watch”): Digital Big Bang (new gTLDs), Connected the Unconnected, Human User Interface, Internet of Things, Hardware on Demand (Makermovement) Social Economy (Bitcoin, Social Sharing, Social Reading), Instant Service.

Here you can watch the full keynote.

The conference was inspiring, I met very interesting people and enjoyed the beautiful old town of Budva. For me, it was the first trip to Montenegro and I can really recommend to go there as well. The little country becomes the hotspot on the Adriatic coastline and a magnet for investors and tourists. I was impressed by brand-new superyacht harbor Porto Montenegro, the relaxing Splendid Spa Hotel, the amazing Aman Hotel at Sveti Stefan, the beautiful beaches and the creative entrepreneurial people I met.

I hold a keynote speech about the Future of Mobile Health. The impact of mobile media is fundamentally changing the health-, pharma and fitness industry. The goal of the impulse speech was to dive into todays trends, understand key-drivers and learn how to be prepared for the future.

The stethoscope was invented in 1816 and is still used in by doctors on a daily basis. Nevertheless technologies have improved or replaced many manual instruments and tools in medicine today. Especially Mobile Media is bringing medicine and healthcare to a completely new level.

People are using technology for permanent monitoring and logging of vital signs, while doctors are remotely supervising the health status of patients suffering from chronic diseases, such as Diabetes and Asthma, via their mobile device (e.g. smartphone or tablet). Cost of technology is lower than ever and consumer devices can be used for professional applications. Currently there are 17,000 mHealth applications in major app stores, 74% of them adhering to the paid business model. With the growing sophistication level of mHealth applications, 14% of the total market revenue in the next 5 years will come from application download revenues.

I am honored to be invited by French President, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, to an invite-only gathering of global digital leaders, right before this year’s G8 Summit in Paris. The e-G8 Forum will include heads of state as well as key tech personalities like Eric Schmidt of Google, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg all expected to attend. The event is hosted and chaired by Publicis Groupe CEO, Mr. Maurice Lévy.

President Sarkozy is currently heading the Group of Eight (G8) with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The major topic of the upcoming summit will be the state and the future of the Internet and the digital ecosystem on a global level. The goal of the e-G8 is to provide the G8 leaders with fresh-ideas and key insights.

Well, fresh ideas and digital know-how is something I can definitely bring into this diverse gathering in Paris. Since the publication of the Vision of Mobile Media for the year 2020 (Mocom2020) and several innovation projects at Ahead of Time, this is someting I had been asked before, but not by a President of a state. Exciting.

Discussions at the two-day Forum will be a mixture of plenary sessions and in-depth workshops where a wide variety of themes will be addressed, including:
– The Internet as key driver for economic growth
– The emergence of global digital citizenship
– The digital technologies of the future
– How best to promote innovation clusters
– The mobile revolution and its impact on commerce, media and advertising
– Privacy and IP protection

President Nicolas Sarkozy will himself deliver the opening keynote address.

I started to produce videos for my YouTube Channel in December 2006 and now I realized that I have reached over one million views, exactly 1,039,903 views today. Amazing!

Since the start I kept producing videos whenever and wherever I had time – at conferences, during business travel or at exciting events. So far I have published 136 Videos and most of them are business related or feature executive interviews. Although the videos are not as funny as Fred’s or exciting as Lady Gaga’s, people do like and watch them.

Monty makes the extraordinary look simple. If the Future has significance for you, he has his finger on the pulse and knows how to help others see quickly the important trends that will impact all our business lives. In addition, he has an ability to take international groups of CEOs and other executives to other parts of the world, and in a relatively short time, give them a deep understanding of the dynamics of this part of the world. How he does it, I am not sure, but after seeing him in action, I know it’s real.